


This is What's Wrong

by Angelicat2



Series: Something's Wrong [3]
Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Angst with a Happy Ending, Hurt Keith (Voltron), Keith (Voltron) Has Abandonment Issues, Lance (Voltron) is a Good Friend, Memories, Mind Meld, POV Lance (Voltron), Past Abuse, Past Attempted Rape/Non-Con, Protective Shiro (Voltron), Protective Team, Scared Keith (Voltron), Team as Family, Weird Biology
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-30
Updated: 2020-07-30
Packaged: 2021-03-06 00:22:03
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,091
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25604266
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Angelicat2/pseuds/Angelicat2
Summary: After a long day of training, Lance is so very ready for bed. As the group fights over whether they are Altean children, the mind melds accidentally activate, showing the paladins and Allura just what happened in that classroom before Shiro found Keith. It certainly explains why Keith seems to have just as much trauma as Shiro does.
Relationships: Keith & Lance (Voltron), Keith & Shiro (Voltron), Keith & Voltron Paladins, Keith/Shiro (Voltron)
Series: Something's Wrong [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1121802
Comments: 5
Kudos: 159





	This is What's Wrong

**Author's Note:**

> I recommend you read the previous fics in this series if you want to understand it fully, though you may be fine without. Enjoy!

"Why are we doing this again?" Pidge asked irritatedly from Lance's left side. Lance, although a rather amazing and handsome guy, had to agree. He was just. Done. With. Training. For. Today. The princess didn't understand that as she glared at them. Alteans clearly had no concept of sleeping...or eating...or relaxing...or sleeping...waittttt….

"I'm so tired I'm starting to repeat myself," Lance frowned as he rested his chin on his hand, yawning, "Why do we need to do the mind melds again?"

"Because any unstable emotion one of you broadcasts through your lion can cripple all of Voltron," Allura frowned at them, "It is why Pidge could not form her lion the first time and why the Red Lion pulls out every single time Shiro is in trouble. You earthlings are letting your emotions rule."

"Yeah, well," Hunk scowled with crossed arms, "Last time I checked, we're all teenagers except for Coran and Shiro. Teenagers don't have great control over their emotions!"

"But this will help!" Allura exclaimed before sighing, "Seeing each other's emotions can help the whole team, especially if you can help each other with them."

"Uhhh…" Pidge shook her head, "No. I didn't like it to begin with, I don't like it now. Like I said, I don't like people grubbing around in my head."

"Ugh," the princess waved her arms up in frustration, "I swear you're worse than-"

"An Altean child?" Hunk squinted before ducking under her glare, "Geez...can we...can we just calm down...call it a night...go get some delicious food that's not food goo and...go to sleep? Please? Anyone else want that because I want to sleep."

"I'm right there beside you, Hunk," Lance groaned softly before sighing softly, "I think I could sleep for a whole varga!"

"Uhhh...it's quintant," Pidge raised a brow which Lance scoffed at. Not everyone was great with the Altean times, "And I agree. We just fought off a whole fleet of Galra yesterday and we've done nearly eight vargas of training alone today. We need some rest."

"I am well aware of that," Allura frowned before closing her eyes for a moment, opening them seconds later, "I only wish for you to do one round. After that, you can be dismissed to do as you see fit."

"Guh."

"Noooo…"

"Oh come on!"

"Altean children," the princess stared at them with a flat look. 

"Yeah, well you haven't even asked Shiro or Keith yet," Pidge snapped before they all went silent. A moment passed before they glanced at the two, "Shiro? Keith?"

Neither were paying attention to them. Sometime in the span of when they were arguing, the two had snuck closer to each other. Lance squinted at them as they rested against each other. The older man was leaning just slightly to his right as mullet pressed his head to his shoulder. For a moment, Lance thought both were asleep and he was about to cry about how it wasn't fair that they were allowed to sleep when Shiro's eyes moved a bit. He looked up over at them slowly before his eyes slid back to looking at mullet with a strange look...something like happiness mixed with deep concern. 

And mullet...was sleeping with a scowl on his face...of course. When did the show-off not have a scowl. Damn, Lance knew they called it resting bitch face but he didn't think it was literal. Keith was sitting there with one leg bent to the side and his left over top of it and out straight. Just looking at it made Lance ache because wasn't that uncomfortable? He glanced up at his face again to see that he looked...paler than normal. There were clearly shadows under his eyes and every so often, his brows would twist momentarily. At the same time, his fingers twitched slightly and suddenly, Lance was reminded of how cats and dogs dreamed and did the same thing.

Too bad their headsets were actually on. Lance was staring at Keith one second and the next, he was standing in some type of room. The darker grey walls cued him in to it being the Garrison.

Irritation and confusion raced through his body as he walked forward and shut the door behind him. A noise pulled his attention to the front of the abandoned room to see…

Professor Snyder. Lance frowned as he stepped closer to the other by a foot. What the fuck? Wasn't this the creepy teacher who got arrested and charged with something bad while at the Garrison? For the life of him, he couldn't remember why he was arrested. He hadn't paid much attention to it when it happened.

"Cadet Kogane," the man smirked like a shark at him as dread slammed into his chest, making him take a step back, "Good of you to join me for this...detention."

"What do you want?" Lance asked as his dread grew, "We met last week."

The man sent him an unimpressed frown.

"Sir," Lance added with a small hiss.

"That's better, cadet," the other moved closer, making dread swell so thickly in Lance's stomach, "We have some things to go over. I hope you have some time to assist me with some things."

Fear unlike anything he'd ever experienced smashed into his body. He could feel his arms and hands begin to shake with fear as his thumb rubbed over his fingers on his right hand. The fright was different than the fear he'd experienced during battle or what he noticed when he felt Hunk's anxiety. This wasn't a stomach-turning thing. No, this was a black-hole-through-the-body-with-ice-shards type of feeling. He felt dread and sickness grip his heart, making him feel worse than death.

"I'm…" Lance...no...Keith - this memory was Keith's - spoke with a bit of a growl in his voice, "I'm leaving."

Lance spun around quickly, dashing for the door and yanking on the handle. At the same time, fingers grabbed his hair and pulled him back roughly as pain echoed through his head. Before he could process anything, he was slammed into the floor, breathless as something pinned him down. For a moment, his ears rang loudly as his vision warped black around the edges. What felt like hours later, it settled as he tilted his head enough to see out of his right eye.

"Ah ah ah," Professor Snyder tsked after a second, right above him, "I wouldn't think to leave so quickly. Shirogane's reputation is on the line. Why...I'm sure Iverson would just be so delighted to find out his star student is a cheater and a liar."

"He's not!" Lance shouted before wincing as something pressed his head down more. The older man chuckled above him. 

"You're just too cute," he laughed before pressing down harder on Lance's...Keith's leg, "Always defending Shirogane. You'd do anything just to save him, wouldn't you?"

He didn't reply, which seemed to piss the man off more as fingers dug into the back of his neck, feeling creepy and making him panic. The knee dug into his hip more as pain flashed through the area.

"Wouldn't you?"

"Y-yes," his voice cracked as he glared at the other, feeling hot tears beginning to burn his eyes.

"Yes, what?"

"S-sir," Lance spat out before wincing as the man dug his fingers into his hair, pulling sharply.

"I know if I said it right here, you'd drop to those knees and do anything I wanted you to," the man smirked as he lost his breath, "And I might just take advantage of that. After all, you have to appease me or they'll find out the truth. You’re not the only cadet I have around but...You certainly are one of the most pretty ones."

And then the man was on top of him, pressing all over him. He was far too big, crushing him underneath him. He could feel himself starting to slip into a deeper sense of panic. He could feel something...lips press to his neck just below his ear. It felt disgusting and made his skin crawl with the feeling of bugs.

"He-help!" He yelped weakly before getting louder, beginning to fight to the man's weight, "Someone! Help! Stop it! Let me g-"

And then a hand was pressed to his jaw, digging into it. The tips of his fingers curled into his mouth, keeping him from moving his jaw at all. Muffled shouts left his throat, but they were easily lost in the silence of the room. Thrashing his hands, he cried out when both were snatched into a bigger one, pulled over his back and held in place by a knee. At the same time, the man placed all of his weight on him. His hip flared with a hot white burst of pain. He tried to get away again until a faint crack was heard and fire exploded in his left hip. 

"You can't start fighting back," the man growled angrily before letting go of his mouth. He was in too much pain to call out as the other continued what he had been. His fingers crawled on his face, making him shudder wildly as his cheek dug into the cold floor, "No one else would want anything like this with you. You're not even human."

He turned his head some, glaring back at the other. The older just smirked at him wickedly before petting through his hair, making him grind his teeth.

"Yeah, I saw your blood sample," the man smirked before pressing closer down, placing another kiss before whispering, "It's not human. You have a triple helix. You should be dead. No human survives that in their genetic makeup. Humans only have a double helix. I should bring it up to Commander Iverson. Can't have an alien in the school. You know what they do to aliens, don't you? I'd hate to see that happen to you. If you give me what I want, you'll be fine."

He laid there as pain and fear ran through him.

“And I’m sure Shirogane is in on it,” the other man spoke before placing another kiss. He felt sick as his breath got caught in his chest. He wanted free. He wanted someone to walk in on them. He wanted Shiro to stop him, “You two spend so much time together, I’m sure he practically knows you inside and outside...But then again...if he knew, he’d want nothing to do with you. You’re a mutt. No one would want you. No one ever will. Not like I want you.”

And then a hand shot to his jacket, pulling it open a bit. Before he could think, another one was on his side. A body-consuming terror set in as the hand on his side moved to his belt. It tugged on it, moving his hips up enough to send his hurt leg into a frenzy of pain. 

He fought again. He wouldn't let him do this. Shiro would fight it. Shiro would have told him to fight it. As a foreign hand moved to his front to unbuckle his belt, he rushed for it. Snapping his teeth into the man's hand, he felt a few crunches in it as some blood hit his tongue. He almost gagged before getting out from under him, bolting upright and running the rest of the way to the door, tripping a few times. Pain rolled through him at every step as his heart raced so quickly that was almost all he could hear.

"You little bastard!" The man behind him screamed from the floor as he hobbled on, "Just you wait! When I'm done with you, no one will recognize you! I'll rip your tongue out! I'll break every fucking finger you have! I won't be so easy on you! I'll rip your clothes off next time and destroy you! I will find you!"

And then he ripped the door open and fled. Hot agony washed over his thigh and up his spine, growing worse and worse. He didn't know what he looked like. He didn't care. He had to get away. He had to go. He couldn't let him get him. He gazed back at the room to make sure the man didn't follow him when he smashed head first into something solid. Landing on the floor, he panicked when he saw grey before him.

No no no no no no...he wasn't letting him do this! He was going to ruin Shiro's life. His best friend wouldn't be able to go on the mission. He was going to ruin Shiro's one chance at Kerberos. No no no no don't touch him. No no no no-

"Keith?" A voice interrupted his thoughts as he finally gazed up a bit. It wasn't the man. It was Shiro who was staring down at him with worried grey eyes, “What happened to your jacket? You never wear it like this. Are you okay?”

"I'm fine," he choked out, feeling worse than before but...also protected. Shiro was safe. Shiro was good. No one would bother him with Shiro there. Everything soon faded out from here, going black…

Lance shot up with a weird startled and choked gasp, leftover fear and his own anger flowing through his veins. He wasn’t the only one who did the same as the others joined him. Pidge was ghostly white, borderline green as she tossed her mind meld device off. Hunk was green and started throwing just behind him. Lance had half a mind to join him as his own stomach begged for him to hurl. 

“Come on, Keith,” Shiro panted under his breath, drawing all of their attention to the two, “Wake up. It’s not real, buddy. It’s in the past. You’re okay. Wake up. Come on...wake up.”

The older was wrapped around Keith protectively in a way that wouldn’t restrain him like he had been in his vision. Lance could see that while all of them were awake, Keith wasn’t yet, eyes squished down harshly, nose wrinkled as his hand shifted a bit up and down against Shiro’s side like he was trying to push against something.

“Turn his mind meld off!” Allura shouted as she raced toward them, ice blue eyes wide with fear and strands plopping from her hair bun, “You must turn it off because he’s stuck in it! Don’t pull it off because it could damage his mind!”

Shiro wrapped his hand around the band, about to turn it off when Keith thrashed wildly, knocking his hand off before hitting his chest plate and flailing.

“Guys!” Hunk shouted before they snapped their eyes to him besides Shiro, “We gotta help!”

“Hunk’s right,” Lance agreed before starting for the two on the group, “We’re a team.”

“You guys grab him and hold him still!” Pidge yelled back before ducking under one of the slightly older’s flying arms, “I’ll turn off the meld!”

Lance dove forward, grabbing onto the other’s legs. Hunk took the other’s right arm while the princess held onto his left. Lance dug in as best he could, practically laying on top of his legs. He huffed in pain when the other kicked his stomach in his panic.

“It’s okay, Keith,” Shiro spoke up, holding his head and making sure he couldn’t move much overall, “You’re gonna be okay. Wake up. Come back to me. Come on. Wake up. I got you, buddy.”

“Pidge!” Allura shouted as she pinned his arm down, clearly struggling even with her Altean strength, “Shut it off now!”

Pidge darted forward, tapping wildly on the device. A moment passed before the thing powered down, blue lights turning off. With one last kick, Keith settled down before he jolted upright, eyes flying open before startled eyes skipped around rapidly.

“Sh’ro,” the other called out before trying to stumble to his feet but failing, “Shiro!”

“I’m here, Keith,” the other hugged Keith who all but collapsed onto his chest, “I’m here. You’re okay.”

“Sc’red,” Keith panted before curling up to the other’s chest, pressing his face to his neck, “Hurts.”

“It’s all a memory,” Shiro soothed the other. Lance shot the others a look which they echoed back, “It didn’t happen this time. You’re on the Castle of Lions. You’re not back there.”

“Shiro,” Keith all but cried out before grabbing onto the older who only held him tighter, “Feel...sick.”

“Yeah, me too, buddy,” Shiro’s expression went dark, something that logically would have frightened Lance minutes ago but didn’t now. He probably had the same face, “Me too.”

“Dirty,” Keith choked out before rubbing his chin against the older’s neck like he was literally trying to scrub off dirt and bad smell. Something in Lance broke at that, at such a defensive action, “Shiro.”

“I know,” the older sighed softly before moving his hands to the younger’s head, making him look at him, “Keith...why didn’t you tell me that he said that? He threatened you. He looked at confidential health papers and used them to force you into something you didn’t want. Keith…”

“Didn’t matter,” Keith huffed before breaking away, burying his face back into Shiro’s neck, “Didn’t want you to get burned.”

“Dude,” Lance interrupted which got a scared noise from the other who stared at him, “We need to work on your priorities.”

“Look,” Keith huffed before his gaze turned sad like a kicked puppy. Quiznak, Lance could not deal with that look, “If you want to use this against me, fine. It’s not like I can stop you. You’ll do it anyway.”

“Wait...what?” Lance froze, blinking, “No! I am not going to tease you about this. This is serious and sick and you didn’t deserve that! All I’m saying is that you matter too.”

“Sure,” Keith stated even sadder than before, sighing softly, “Sure.”

“Keith, you do matter,” Pidge stated softly as she stepped closer, “You’re our friend.”

“Pidge is right,” Allura stated before moving closer, “You do matter to us, Keith. I know I work you five more than you need, but I’m only trying to get you strong enough to go out there.”

“Yeah, as the Red Paladin,” Keith sighed tiredly before shaking his head, “And what if he was right? What if I’m not human...”

“That doesn’t matter…”

“Yes, it does,” Keith snapped before closing his eyes in defeat, “What if I’m Galra?”

Everyone went silent.

“Exactly,” Keith spoke after a full minute, “He said that I have a triple helix. I know humans don’t have that. And I’ve been thinking this whole time. Galra stuff only opens to Galra DNA, right? You guys saw it! Things open and shut for me when I press my hand to it.”

“Yeah...but that was like one time,” Lance protested until fire-filled eyes turned to him, “Uhhh…”

“You literally watched me do it, Lance,” Keith growled before sighing, “And it makes sense…”

“Keith,” Shiro frowned but didn’t try to stop the other.

“It explains why mom was never around,” Keith sighed again, tears coming to his eyes, “She had to have been Galra. What if she was an Empire soldier? What if she’s been helping destroy and conquer planets? What if I end up like her...like them? What...what if I meet her? Pops never said she was dead. But...he talked about her with so much love...it explains everything...why I’m weird, why everyone hates me, why-”

“Woah!” Hunk shouted, making Keith flinch deeply, “Who said they hate you, man? None of us hate you.”

“I…” Keith tilted his head a bit, looking lost, “You don’t?”

“No,” Hunk waved his arms around before tears raced to his eyes, “Why would you think that?”

“You...guys don’t seem to like me,” Keith sniffled - Lance blinked - before sighing, “Every time I’m around, you guys act like I’m ruining everything. I don’t always get things like Lance’s chants but I’m not dumb...I just...growing up all I had was dad and he was all I needed. But...I don’t know...I…”

“We don’t feel that way,” Pidge frowned softly, “We just...don’t know how to react sometimes. You always seem so...serious. You’ve always got your mind on training or saving the universe. Heck, the only time you act like a living person is when you’re around Shiro. And...we don’t usually hang out with Shiro a lot…”

“There’s a blade my dad left for me,” Keith stated after a moment, “And the symbol on it looks a lot like the Empire symbol that is everywhere. I...I’m sorry that I suck at my emotions and that I ruined the exercise. Everything’s always been fear or pain for me! And Shiro...Shiro’s been the one person who treated me like I was someone. Like I was worth something to him. And...It’s just so much easier to talk to him and just...understand him than with others. And I don’t trust people very easy and I should but I can’t okay because everyone leaves and everyone hates me and I’m worthless and useless and no one cares an-”

Lance wasn’t having it anymore. The poor guy was literally tearing himself up inside for things he thought he did wrong. God...Lance thought he was insecure inside...he had no clue that his self-made rival was just as bad if not worse off. No wonder mullet was always glaring at everything that moved and ready to flee or attack at any moment. No wonder he didn’t get much sleep and went into panic attacks that rivaled Shiro’s on his good days.

Lance dropped into a crouch on his knees before grabbing Keith into a hug. The other went deathly silent before starting to fight, strange noises coming him every second. Lance held on as the other gave in after a bit, listening as the Red Paladin started sobbing in weird quiet cries. Before long, he could feel the others join in on the hug, Hunk’s strong arm tugging around his back. They stayed that way for awhile, just hugging it out.

“What that monster did was wrong,” Allura stated darkly from Lance’s right, “And if you are indeed Galra...Give us time, alright? I’m feeling a bit angry...but not at you. I just need to get this through my mind. The fight I have is with Zarkon and his people, not you. I don’t...I will not hurt you like he did. That was horrible. You don’t deserve this.”

“Yeah!” Pidge glared before hugging Keith tighter, “I just want to take my taser and zap him when we get to Earth! I heard that something went down but that was wrong. I think we all want that."

"Yeah!"

"Ditto," Hunk nods, completely serious, "Hard ditto, man. We're here for you, you know? Any time."

"And I swear, if that man ever even attempts to touch you again," Shiro growls lowly. Lance is so shocked by the anger there, and Keith must be too if the wide eyes are anything to tell by, "I will become the Champion again. I hate that life, what it means, but he will not hurt you like that again. I got you, Keith. I got you."

Keith melts into the hug. They all do, enjoying the group hug. Lance gets an idea.

"So…" He grins as Keith eyes him, cautious to the bone, "Does this mean we're having another bonding moment?"

"You…remember that?" Keith tilts his head before he snorts, "You're an asshole."

"Your favorite asshole," Lance grins back before wincing, leg starting to hurt, "Okay. Not that I'm trying to leave, but can we...move somewhere else? My leg is cramping and I'm still exhausted. Sleepover?"

"Sleepover?" Keith blinks as though it's a new concept, which it could be, "All of us? I...yeah. I like...that."

Dang, Lance barely holds back his laugh. Keith is kind of cute in like...a feral cat way. And after all Lance just saw, he couldn't blame Keith for being that way. That memory was clearly not the only case of abuse, and the younger begins to really understand how well he had with his family in Cuba. At least he had a caring family who always reassured him that he was loved and wanted. He may have left like a third or seventh wheel, but he had people who were his friends, who he could trust. 

Luckily for Keith, he had people he could trust now too.


End file.
